In recent years, more and more home furnishing items are being manufactured in Asia or other places that have labor costs relatively lower than those in the United States. For many small items, the foreign manufacture of products raises few logistical problems. However, with furniture and home furnishings, the size of the item can make a tremendous difference in the ability to sell the product. For example, cost of shipping a fully assembled rigid sided hamper can be prohibitive. The term xe2x80x9champerxe2x80x9d is defined to include a container sized and configured for retaining laundry. The term xe2x80x9champerxe2x80x9d is defined to include a container having a volumetric range from 2.0 cubic feet to 6.0 cubic feet. The term xe2x80x9champerxe2x80x9d is intended to refer only to containers which have a lid which can be raised to insert clothing therein. In the alternative, the term xe2x80x9champerxe2x80x9d is intended to include a tilting apparatus where a lid portion is stationary, and a front, back or side portion is arranged to be tilted away from the lid section so as to expose an area where laundry can be inserted. xe2x80x9cHamperxe2x80x9d is also intended to specifically exclude baskets or other containers which are designed with pivoting or flexible handles which are configured to be disposed above a concave section for carrying items.
Additionally, shipping fully assembled hampers reduces the number of items that a retailer can maintain in stock for a given shelf space. This can affect the ability for a seller to supply hampers, especially during times when the demands fluctuate.
Other hampers exist which have spring wire therein which provides for an easily deployable hamper. One example of this approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,533. Another example of a folding or collapsible hamper is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,394, both of which were issued to Paul S. Ziglar. These patents are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by these references.
While these hampers have been used extensively in the past, they do have some drawbacks. First of all, some consumers prefer a more rigid hamper than that which is provided by the spring wire hampers. The ""394 patent describes a hamper which is more complex to build than would be necessary with the present invention.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and systems for providing an easily assembled exterior framed hamper.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for providing an easily assembled rigid-walled hamper.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize a set of hinge-like connectors between adjoining panels.
It is another feature of the present invention to have a pivoting bottom section coupled to at least one panel.
It is another feature of the present invention to include screw-on feet.
It is another advantage of the present invention to achieve improved efficiency in assembling a hamper.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for providing an easily assembled hamper designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide the previously stated objects, include the above-listed features, and achieve the already articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out in a xe2x80x9cwasted time-lessxe2x80x9d manner, in a sense that the time required by a consumer to assemble a hamper, has been greatly reduced.
Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method including an external framed hamper having hinge-like panel couplings.